Nostr notes by bill (pliny the older)

we get a lot of ads for AI companies so anti-AI ads are ...

2025-11-02T18:28:11Z

we get a lot of ads for AI companies so anti-AI ads are refreshing

here’s the info on subscribing to The End Times digitally (the ...

2025-10-28T13:04:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…c5x7
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here’s the info on subscribing to The End Times digitally (the print version is US only)

https://badhandbooks.com/preorders/the-end-times-digital-subscription

Benjamin Percy, who I know as a comics writer, is producing a ...

2025-10-28T13:03:59Z

Benjamin Percy, who I know as a comics writer, is producing a post-apocalyptic serialized novel called The End Times in the form of a monthly tabloid newspaper that you can subscribe to digitally or even in print. They are apparently using the same press that the publisher’s mother-in-law uses to produce a weekly newspaper in her hometown of South Dakota.

Pearcy reached out to Stephen King, who agreed to contribute articles to the fictional newspaper. (I still remember buying the six mini paperbacks of King’s The Green Mile when it was serialized monthly.)

First issue is due to be sent to subscribers in a few weeks. The print run sold out quickly, but they’ve expanded it — wouldn’t be surprised if it sells out again though.

https://www.fangoria.com/stephen-king-the-end-times-benjamin-percy/

Charlie Werzel on AI as a mass delusion “one of AI’s enduring ...

2025-08-19T02:03:18Z

Charlie Werzel on AI as a mass delusion “one of AI’s enduring cultural impacts is to make people feel like they’re losing it”

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/ai-mass-delusion-event/683909/?gift=bQgJMMVzeo8RHHcE1_KM0Yxw_pOVM_AK6Q1K5aHOCSs&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Sunrise this morning ...

2025-07-09T23:01:47Z

Sunrise this morning

San Francisco drag performer Hilary Rivers was taken by ICE ...

2025-06-27T19:58:27Z

San Francisco drag performer Hilary Rivers was taken by ICE yesterday morning; the night before she competed in the Miss and Mr Safe Latino Pageant. I saw this play out on social media; one of my friends was also a contestant, and I knew a lot of folks who attended.

https://48hills.org/2025/06/drag-performer-taken-by-ice-morning-after-pride-week-pageant/

This administration is committed to the systematic erasure of ...

2025-06-03T23:14:37Z

This administration is committed to the systematic erasure of queer people and queer history.

https://www.ebar.com/story/155022/News/Hegseth%2520to%2520strip%2520Milk%E2%80%99s%2520name%2520from%2520Navy%2520vessel%25C2%25A0

Yesterday was the anniversary of the White Night Riots, which ...

2025-05-22T13:20:47Z

Yesterday was the anniversary of the White Night Riots, which took place in San Francisco on May 21 1979 after Dan White was found guilty only of voluntary manslaughter after his murder of Harvey Milk and George Moscone. The violent police retaliation in the Castro that evening was swift and brutal. Underground cartoonist Paul Mavrides designed the now iconic NO APOLOGIES tee shirt in the immediate aftermath of the riots.

Today is Harvey Milk’s birthday, and there are events today in the Castro in memory.

Also on this day in Queer Ancestors:

Venus Xtravaganza, forever commemorated in Paris is Burning, was born today in 1965. She was murdered in 1988, aged 23.

Arnold Lobel, creator of Frog and Toad, was born today in 1933. He died of AIDS in 1987 at the age of 54.

Today’s also the anniversary of the passing of poet Langston Hughes, who died after complications due to surgery for prostate cancer in 1967 at the age of 66.

It’s quite nice that my birthday today coincides with Indie ...

2025-04-26T17:02:51Z

It’s quite nice that my birthday today coincides with Indie Bookstore Day. Yesterday I went by Fabulosa to pick up some gay mysteries, so I probably don’t need to go again (although it’s tempting). Instead my plan is to go to an art supply store or two and then find some time to read and/or journal and/or draw and/or chill. Tina’s taking me to a birthday dinner tonight, which will be lovely.

Yesterday I picked up a few bandanas at the Renegade Craft Fair. ...

2025-03-30T17:51:46Z

Yesterday I picked up a few bandanas at the Renegade Craft Fair. A few years back I bought a bandana from them that I really loved, but there were a lot to choose from. This time I decided to get a few that struck my eye.

“Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K Jones is an ...

2025-03-13T01:04:06Z

“Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K Jones is an evil, pointed, heartbreaking tiny little story (549 words!) from Lightspeed Magazine’s January 2024 issue, and it was just nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story. You can read it for free here.

https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/five-views-of-the-planet-tartarus/

Beautiful almost-spring day that’s perfect for a walk in the ...

2025-03-08T20:13:45Z

Beautiful almost-spring day that’s perfect for a walk in the neighborhood

This is a stunning article about a never-noticed queer love ...

2025-03-01T02:29:06Z

This is a stunning article about a never-noticed queer love affair between two British officers who survived the tragedy of Scott’s failed expedition to the South Pole in the early 1910s, told through diaries and letters.

https://magazine.atavist.com/from-antarctica-with-love-terra-nova-scott-south-pole-pennell-atkinson/

All I could feel was overwhelming sadness. How fucking scared and ...

2025-02-18T14:59:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…pk9u
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All I could feel was overwhelming sadness. How fucking scared and hopeless must that kid be right now.

Tina and I went to a Walgreens last night — we’re traveling, ...

2025-02-18T14:48:27Z

Tina and I went to a Walgreens last night — we’re traveling, so we stopped by to pick up water and snacks for the hotel room.

While I was walking out with our purchases, a young kid, maybe 19 years old, shoved me hard in the back so he could run out the door past me. The cashier ran out after him, but the kid was already in his car pulling out of the parking lot onto a side street.

Tina asked the cashier what the guy was in such a rush to steal. “Plan B,” the cashier said.

We all watched as the light turned green and the car sped out of sight.

I found this to be reassuring. “Is Somebody Doing Something?! ...

2025-02-04T00:58:50Z

I found this to be reassuring. “Is Somebody Doing Something?! Yes. Let me break it down for you.”

https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/is-somebody-doing-something

Our new mayor Daniel Lurie wrote a strong and unequivocal guest ...

2025-01-31T01:53:54Z

Our new mayor Daniel Lurie wrote a strong and unequivocal guest opinion for the Bay Area Reporter on the need to stand up to protect the LGBTQ+ community, and I am moved more than I thought I would be.

In any other year, a straight politician in San Francisco writing about his support for our community would be appreciated but not a surprise. This feels like a breath of fresh air. Referencing the Daughters of Bilitis, Compton’s Cafeteria, Jose Sarria (!), the murder of Harvey Milk, governmental indifference to AIDS, trans women of color working to establish the Transgender District, and more.

https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=opinion&sc=guest_opinion&id=337644

Thinking about pioneering playwright Lorraine Hansberry; she ...

2025-01-12T20:19:54Z

Thinking about pioneering playwright Lorraine Hansberry; she passed away from pancreatic cancer on this day in 1965 at the young age of 34. She was best known for her 1959 hit play A Raisin in the Sun; the iconic Broadway production included Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Louis Gossett Jr in the cast.

Hansberry was not out publicly during her lifetime. In 1970, the editors of the lesbian magazine The Ladder revealed that Lorraine had two letters published in the magazine under just her initials in 1957. This link has more information.

(from my little queer ancestors calendar project)

https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/lorraine-hansberry/lesbian-writing

“Instructions for Building Your First Time Machine” from T.S. ...

2025-01-07T20:41:23Z

“Instructions for Building Your First Time Machine” from T.S. Leonard, in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of Poetry.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/1639272/instructions-for-building-your-first-time-machine

I use FB and Insta because that’s where my chosen family is ...

2025-01-07T15:46:07Z

I use FB and Insta because that’s where my chosen family is active. My tiny little IRL community — many in the queer corners of the Castro, SOMA, the Mission and the TL — is embedded in these spaces. Just deleting my Meta accounts is a choice I can make. That choice will leave me isolated from a big portion of my people.

Anyway, all of that is on my mind as I process the most recent Zuckerberg announcements. Kottke has an accessible discussion of it, and he lays out a lot of the implications.

https://kottke.org/25/01/metas-free-speech-grift

Today I remember Reed Erickson, a trans man who used his ...

2025-01-03T21:54:33Z

Today I remember Reed Erickson, a trans man who used his inherited wealth in the 1960s and 1970s to fund a number of early queer and trans organizations, including the Erickson Educational Foundation in 1964, a vital resource for medical, emotional and legal advice for trans individuals of the era.

Reed Erickson died on this day in 1992 at the age of 74.

(from my little queer ancestors calendar project)

Here’s an article on Reed Erickson from Eric Marcus’s Making Gay History podcast.

https://makinggayhistory.org/podcast/reed-erickson/

The show at the Oakland Museum had a lot of great stuff, and ...

2024-12-28T17:57:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…nj5t
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The show at the Oakland Museum had a lot of great stuff, and I’m glad we went

More favorites ...

2024-12-28T17:53:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…fjfx
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More favorites

Lots of great finds, like this Yolanda Lopez print for a Chicano ...

2024-12-28T17:47:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…kavc
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Lots of great finds, like this Yolanda Lopez print for a Chicano Park Day in Logan Heights that Tina is pretty sure they attended in the early 70s. Also, several of these prints that Tina is standing in front of are organizations that Tina worked for. And there’s art by Viviana Paredes and Rafa Esparza as well.

The day after Christmas we went over to the Oakland Museum to see ...

2024-12-28T17:41:39Z

The day after Christmas we went over to the Oakland Museum to see the CALLI: ART OF XICANX PEOPLES exhibit, with art by old friends like Rafa Esparza, Joey Terrill, Yolanda Lopez, Viviana Paredes, and others.

Good grief ...

2024-12-23T20:37:26Z

Good grief

My honey has been experiencing some pain and physical discomfort ...

2024-12-01T20:13:51Z

My honey has been experiencing some pain and physical discomfort for the past few days; yesterday, after a day of testing and waiting, they were admitted to a room with a diagnosis — it’s a gallbladder issue. We are both relieved and in good spirits now that we finally know what’s going on and we have a plan for treatment. This morning we found out that more tests are needed, so I’m taking a break quick break to run some errands at home. I don’t plan to write too much about this and I might delete this later on, so please don’t take offense if I do.

Going tomorrow to Cyndi Lauper’s farewell tour. Never seen her ...

2024-11-26T05:15:43Z

Going tomorrow to Cyndi Lauper’s farewell tour. Never seen her live, so it’s about dang time.

The opening act in SF and Palm Springs is the one and only Trixie Mattel. I’m a fan of Trixie’s music, so I’m low key thrilled about it.

Love to hear what you think of this one

2024-11-25T02:08:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…cnsw
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Love to hear what you think of this one

West Coast Craft was fun. I didn’t really find much that I ...

2024-11-24T00:56:38Z

West Coast Craft was fun. I didn’t really find much that I wanted to buy, but it was still fun to walk around.

I confess that I want more Christmas in a fair like this.

I got it from the artist — JadeHowdy on IG, and JadeHowdy dot ...

2024-11-19T06:25:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…3hfr
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I got it from the artist — JadeHowdy on IG, and JadeHowdy dot com — at a craft fair this weekend!

It was cute! I’d say a couple hundred tables with students and ...

2024-11-16T23:34:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…sd3s
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It was cute! I’d say a couple hundred tables with students and alums selling prints, comics, crafted items, ceramics, zines and more. Very queer, fun vibe.

Loved this zine I got today: AI ART IS FOR CHUMPS by Jade Howdy. ...

2024-11-16T23:31:19Z

Loved this zine I got today: AI ART IS FOR CHUMPS by Jade Howdy. Makes me so happy.

I’m a sucker for a craft fair, so I’m going to swing by CCA ...

2024-11-16T20:43:33Z

I’m a sucker for a craft fair, so I’m going to swing by CCA for this one this afternoon

I’ve tested the Croissant app, and it seems to work just fine. ...

2024-11-11T23:18:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…kc2d
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I’ve tested the Croissant app, and it seems to work just fine. Love to hear your experience with this one.

I was sad to hear that my friend Philo passed away. He moved to ...

2024-11-04T19:43:51Z

I was sad to hear that my friend Philo passed away. He moved to LA a long time back, but we grabbed coffee last summer. We got to catch up, and he told me about his job and an opportunity he had to move to the high desert outside of Palm Springs.

I met Philo back in the early 00s days of blogging. When we met in person, he was surprised that my reaction to his first name was “oh, like the Greek philosopher” and not whatever most people say.

He invited me to see a monthly drag show that he organized out in San Rafael. His drag name was Rula Planet, and the show was the Galaxy Girls. I drove out a bunch of times, and met a few of the girls like Marlene Manners, Daisy Wynan-Roses, Ivy Drip, and my dear much-missed friend Cookie Dough.

Philo was a psychic/astrologer and was sober for 30+ years. He made a silly video about hula hooping that the New York Times wrote about for some reason. I’m sad but I’m glad to remember him.

My poet friend T.S. Leonard, worried about the feeling of ...

2024-11-04T19:17:42Z

My poet friend T.S. Leonard, worried about the feeling of helplessness in the face the presidential election, suggested the following as a writing prompt:

“It feels like the levers of change are far beyond our individual grip. Still, the questions linger: Was there more I could have, should have done to usher in the world I want to see? How will I rise to meet the coming moment? Take in a deep breath. Grab a piece of paper and a pen; title it "Whatever comes tomorrow…” and start writing your plan.”

He then offered up his poem called Whatever Comes Tomorrow, and it was a bit of balm to my anxieties. May it be a bit of light for you as well.

https://emergencymeditations.substack.com/p/whatever-comes-tomorrow

I know it’s crazy to suggest, but I hope you watch WandaVision ...

2024-10-24T14:42:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…3cjt
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I know it’s crazy to suggest, but I hope you watch WandaVision first. Agatha is very much it’s own show, but some of it won’t make sense without Wv.

Nostr event nevent1qqs0z3at04gvdck9wjs9mzzu2k330n5c46jvr8gssr7fxp9mnjvzxgczype2547xd00lv20d783r5t3eth356s9tcaaseedyhf994vwd4ec3xsa9y6x

2024-10-24T13:33:35Z

There really is nothing like Agatha All Along out there.

Hey, today’s Oscar Wilde’s 170th birthday. I was going to ...

2024-10-16T14:03:03Z

Hey, today’s Oscar Wilde’s 170th birthday. I was going to write a whole thing about him — I read a massive bio of him when I was in eighth grade, which was very on brand for me. But if you don’t know why Wilde is such a figure for queers, I don’t know what to tell you.

Here’s a picture of his very ugly tomb in Paris, where they have to put up plastic protection because too many people have been leaving lipstick traces on the stone. There’s also an Oscar Wilde plaque on the Castro Rainbow Walk, because of course there is.

I would go with the .com — if you go to the instagram, the most ...

2024-09-25T02:41:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…pwu2
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I would go with the .com — if you go to the instagram, the most recent postings are referencing emails that end with transgenderdistrictsf . com. Also, that website has a more up-to-date staff list. The .org account has the names of people who no longer work there.

Also, San Francisco’s Cultural District page links to the .com page.

https://www.sf.gov/san-francisco-cultural-districts-program

Sometimes the sunset makes me melt ...

2024-09-24T02:21:46Z

Sometimes the sunset makes me melt

Fabulosa Books in the Castro has a really special project called ...

2024-08-25T04:13:56Z

Fabulosa Books in the Castro has a really special project called Books Not Bans where customers buy queer books, which are then shipped out to places across the country that need them. The CBS Evening News just did a story on it!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_ExTH3vU6X/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==

Pulled this on the bus — the Eight of Wands. A sudden burst of ...

2024-08-20T14:35:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…t4d3
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Pulled this on the bus — the Eight of Wands. A sudden burst of righteous energy that can bring about a change in your status quo. The card shows a 1966 riot of sex workers and drag queens fighting back against police violence.

The moon at sunrise this morning ...

2024-08-20T14:21:41Z

The moon at sunrise this morning